Looping needle for forming knitted loops



June 27, 1967 D. MATTHEWS 3,327,498

LOOPING NEEDLE FOR FORMING KNITTED LOOPS Filed Sept. 22, 1964 I5 Sheets-Sheet l mvenron DENls MRTTHEI 'WMM June 27, 1967 D. MATTHEWS 3,327,498

LOOPINGNEEDLE FOR FORMING KNITTED LOOPS Filed Sept. 22, 1964 a Sheets-Sheet 2 F mvsnrlm DENIS MBT'THEHs BY MMMW June 27, 1967 D. MATTHEWS 3,327,498

LOOPING NEEDLE FOR FORMING KNITTED LOOPS Filed Sept. 22, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 LEE i; I I6 3 FIGH. F

INVENToR DEN I s M HTTHENS MMML W United States Patent 3,327,498 LOOPING NEEDLE FOR FGRMING KNITTED L00 S Denis Matthews, Sutton-in-Ashfield, England, assignor to Matthews 8; Birkhamshaw Limited Filed Sept. 22, 1964, Ser. No. 398,352 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Sept. 25, 1963, 37,661/ 63 3 Claims. (Cl. 66-121) This invention is for an improved looping needle for forming knitted loops and primarily for forming chain knitted loops in linking machines as an improvement in or modification of British Patent No. 1,016,533, corresponding to allowed US. patent application Ser. No. 257,715, now US. Patent No. 3,265,021 which claims a looping needle, primarily for a linking machine, having one end adapted for attachment to a machine, the other end tapered substantially to a point, and behind the pointed end yarn looping formations such for example as in a conventional knitting machine needle. This needle is operable for chain stitching fabric portions together as fully disclosed in British Patent No. 1,016,532, corresponding to US. patent application Ser. No. 257,636, which discloses that the latch needle is advanced through the fabric without carrying yarn with it, but that there is an old chain loop on the needle which is engaged by the closed latch so that the lat-ch is swung open and is carried through the fabric in this open position. New yarn then is laid in the hook of the needle which subsequently retracts so that the latch engages the fabric so as to be swung to the closed position over the new yarn. The needle, in its continued retraction, draws a new chain loop of the new yarn through the fabric and through the old chain loop and these operations are repeated each time after the fabric has been advanced to present a new portion to the needle for each operation.

The needle is employed to perform this method in a linking machine as fully disclosed in British Patent No. 1,016,532, corresponding to US. patent application Ser. No. 257,719, which discloses that the machine comprises a circular dial of channel points on which the fabric is impaled. The needle is carried by a needle bar operated to advance and retract the needle, and a thread guide is operated for laying the new yarn relative to the needle. The dial is operated with an intermittent rotary movement, one step for each complete operation of the needle and thread guide.

It is known to be desirable for a knitted chain made by a latch needle to extend from the rear of the needle since the latch is then engaged by the fronts of the loops. However if the latch is of the conventional length type when used in a linking machine with fabric impaled on the points, as disclosed in the above mentioned British patents, there is a tendency for the latch to foul adjacent fabric loops during the needles retraction.

An object of the invention is to provide a looping needle primarily for forming chain knitted loops, and which is of such improved construction as to be particularly satisfactory for avoiding the loops being fouled by needle latches in linking machines.

The invention provides an improvement in or modification of the looping needle as dis-closed in British Patent No. 1,016,533, and the corresponding allowed US. patent application Ser. No. 257,715, which consists in the yarn looping formations comprising a slot forming a hook, and in the pivoted latch being of shortened form. Conveniently the slot extends through the needle from side to side thereof to form the hook at a side of the needle, and the latch is disposed in a plane extending sideways of the needle on an axis perpendicular to said plane. Conveniently also the short latch, when open for being engaged by an old loop on the needle to close the latch, is of increased inclination to avoid fouling adjacent loops in the needles retraction. For a linking machine, the needle is of arcuate formation, and it is of left hand or right hand form, i.e. with the latch directed to one straight side or to the other straight side of the needle to suit requirements.

The above and other features of the invention set out in the appended claims are incorporated in the construction which will now be described as a specific embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a looping needle according to the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the needle.

FIGURE 3 is a side view of the needle.

FIGURE 4 is the other side vie-w of the needle.

FIGURE 5 shows the looping end of the needle in operation in a linking machine.

FIGURES 6 to 8 are detail views of the needle at different stages in its use.

FIGURES 9 to 11 are detail views of a linking needle showing a disadvantage of having a conventional type long latch.

Referring to the drawings, the looping needle 1 comprises one end part, or shank, 2 of suitable form, in this instance of circular sectioned rod form, for releasable fitment to a needle bar in the circular linking machine, an intermediate part 3, in this instance of fiat bar form and slightly arcuate one plane extending longitudinally of the needle, and another end part 4.

The end part 4 is tapered as at 5 substantially to an end point 6, and behind this tapered part there are yarn looping formations comprising a slot 7 which extends into the needle from one side thereof to form a side hook 8, and a short latch 9 which is adapted for movement to engage and disengage the hook 8 for opening and closing the slot, and which is pivotal perpendicularly to the just mentioned one longitudinal plane about an axis parallel thereto.

The latch 9 has a spoon tip 9a to seat on the tip 8a of the hook 8.

The latch, for being engaged by the fabric on the retracting needle to close the latch, is of increased inclination to avoid fouling adjacent loops in the needles retraction. The stage of the latch closing in the linking machine, referred to in FIGURE 5 where the usual points are indicated at 10, will be hereinafter more fully explained.

The needle can be of left hand or right hand form, i.e. with the latch directed to one straight side or to the other straight side of the needle to suit the direction of rotation of the linking machine.

The needle is employed to carry out the method of linking according to to British Patent No. 1,016,532, corresponding to US. patent application, Ser. No. 257,636, so that in accordance with the disclosure in this British patent, as hereinbefore briefly described, the same steps are performed, as represented in FIG. 5, of the needle retracting after having been advanced through an old loop 0L and through fabric F on the points 10 so that the latch is opened by its engagement with the old loop 0L and new yarn Y is laid in the hook. In the following retraction, the latch engages the fabric so that the latch closes over new yarn Y and the needle then draws a new loop of yarn Y through fabric F and through old loop OL.

The method is performed in a linking machine according to British Patent No. 1,016,531, corresponding to US. patent application Ser. No. 257,719.

FIGURES 6 to 11 illustrate an important advantage of the improved needle as above particularly described, FIG- URES 6 to 8 showing the shortened latch needle retract- 3 ing, and FIGURES 9 to 11 showing a needle with a latch of conventional long length retracting.

When the shortened latch is 'fully open as shown in FIGURE 6, its position is controlled as usual by the slot in which it pivots, and in the present instance, the position provides a Wide or increased inclination of about 35 to the longitudinal axis of the needle and its shortened length is such that its maximum extent of projection from the needle is comparatively small.

FIGURE 7 shows the latch retracting with the needle and starting to close by its engagement with the fabric F and, since the latch is of shortened length and it starts at an inclination of about 35", so as to incline to the fabric at an angle of about 55, it swings abruptly from the fabric without fouling it, as shown in FIGURE 8.

FIGURE 9 shows the same starting position as FIG- URE 6 but with the latch being of conventional long length and, when in the open position, being at a narrow tangle of inclination of about 20 to the horizontal axis of the needle and at an angle of about 70 to the fabric. Consequently as shown in FIGURE 10, as the needle retracts the latch penetrates the fabric, with the result as shown in FIGURE 11 that the latch is prevented by the fabric from closing properly.

In explanation of this, it will be appreciated that, with the latch at the narrow angle, it is at such a small angular distance from the dead center position that the thrust of the fabric cannot readily turn the latch and, instead, the fabric is pierced by the latch.

By way of example, the following are dimensions for one particular gauge of needle.

Width of shank-.056" Length from tip of hook to the pointed end-.063 Length of latch from pivot axis to tip-.0875" What I claim is: 1. A looping needle comprising a shank for releasable mounting said needle on a needle bar of a linking ma chine, an intermediate part extending from said shank and of arcuate form when viewed from a side thereof and in a plane extending longitudinally of the needle, and a tapered end part extending from said intermediate part and tapered substantially to an end point, said needle, having a su bstantiallystraight side with a slot adjacent said tapered end part which extends inwardly from the side toward said tapered end part to form a side hook having a tip, and a short latch pivoted to said needle for.

movement at said side, said latch having a spoon tip located to engage and disengage from the hook, for opening and closing the slot, said latch being movable perpendicularly to said plane on an axis parallel to said plane and being inclined in the opened position at substantially 35 to the longitudinal axis of said needle.

2. A looping needle, as claimed in claim 1, in which said latch projects from one rectilinear side of said intermediate part.

3. A looping needle, as claimed in claim 1,'wherein the width of said shank is 0.056, the distance between the tip of said hook and said pointed end is 0.063", and the length of said latch between its pivot axis and its tip is 0.0875.

FOREIGN PATENTS 921,756 1/1947 France.

MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner.

R. FELDBAUM, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A LOOPING NEEDLE COMPRISING A SHANK FOR RELEASABLE MOUNTING SAID NEEDLE ON A NEEDLE BAR OF A LINKING MACHINE, AN INTERMEDIATE PART EXTENDING FROM SAID SHANK AND OF ARCUATE FORM WHEN VIEWED FROM A SIDE THEREOF AND IN A PLANE EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF THE NEEDLE, AND A TAPERED END PART EXTENDING FROM SAID INTERMEDIATE PART AND TAPERED SUBSTANTIALLY TO AN END POINT, SAID NEEDLE, HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY STRAIGHT SIDE WITH A SLOT ADJACENT SAID TAPERED END PART WHICH EXTENDS INWARDLY FROM THE SIDE TOWARD SAID TAPERED END PART TO FORM A SIDE HOOK HAVING A TIP, AND A SHORT LATCH PIVOTED TO SAID NEEDLE FOR MOVEMENT AT SAID SIDE, SAID LATCH HAVING A SPOON TIP LOCATED TO ENGAGE AND DISENGAGE FROM THE HOOK, FOR OPENING AND CLOSING THE SLOT, SAID MOVABLE PERPENDICULARLY TO SAID PLANE ON AN AXIS PARALLEL TO SAID PLANE AND BEING INCLUDED IN THE OPENED POSITION AT SUBSTANTIALLY 35* TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID NEEDLE. 